Union Square Choreography (December 2006)

Course Overview

This class is full! we are not accepting any more registration at this time.

This class is designed for people interested in participating in a large group performance piece. This piece is specifically designed for the Union Square stage and it has been written with that large stage (28' x 40') in mind.

The intention is to perform this 14 (actually it can be as few as 8 people and as many as 24) person piece of choreography both on December 11 (as part of the San Francisco Food Bank's Canned food drive) and again as part of the Temple of Poi 2007 Fire Dancing Expo (perhaps in a longer format) in April, 2007.

GlitterGirl has already written the choreography and selected a song. The moves themselves are fairly simple and the choreography was written with the intention of showing off large numbers of people doing something simple in sync with cool blocking (movement) rather than complex moves being the focus. The piece is approximately 3.5 minutes and involves 12 poi artists and 2 hoopers.

The class will meet 3 times for 80 minutes plus 2 dress rehearsals of up to 2 hours each. Class 1 will be held at the Temple and all other classes/practices will be held outdoors at the Palace of Fine Arts (under the dome), rain or shine.

Students will have:

• an opportunity to work in communal environment to create a piece
• learning about working in groups on group choreography
• a performance opportunity in union square on that amazing stage
• an opportunity to work with me as the choreographer/director
• create a mixed tool performance

What this means is you basically have to show up, learn your part, and be committed to practicing on your own sufficiently so that group practices are spent working on the overall group flow of the piece.

All participants in the class are expected to perform on December 11, so please do not sign up for the class if you will not be able to make the performance that evening. The performance will begin at about 5 pm and you will need to be in Union square around 4:30, in costume.

I n order to ensure a high quality presentation, students who do not know their part sufficiently well to learn it comfortably by the performance (based on a conversation GlitterGirl will have with the student) by the end of the first hour of the first dress rehearsal will be cut from the performance and asked to watch the rehearsals rather than participate.

Class dates

Class 1:
November 6: 7:30-10:10 pm: (note: students will only need to attend either the first half or the second half of this class)
All are welcome to observe both halves, though this is what is required:
7:30 - 8:50: This session will focus on teaching the basic moves and overall structure to the main group.
8:50 - 10:10: This session will teach the 4 poi principle parts as well as the two hoop parts.

Class 2: November 13: 7:50 - 9:10
Class 3: November 27: 7:50 - 9:10
Classes 2 and 3 will be repeated run throughs of the choreography, drilling the piece for success, body memory and, in the 3rd section, enhancing everyone's style.

Please note, if extra help is needed, I am willing to set up additional sessions though students attending will have to pay and additional fee for these sessions.

Dress 1: December 4: 7:50 - 10:10
Dress 2: December 6: 7:50 - 10:10
The first Dress Rehearsal will be repeated run throughs of the piece with fire. The second dress rehearsal will be the same, with everyone in their full costume. We'll break early if we do three consecutive run throughs that are "perfect."

Costumes
All artists will wear all black fire safe outfits, including socks and all black shoes. Additional costuming material will be given to the artists (theirs to keep as part of the class).

Tuition and Materials
Tuition for the classes (3 80 minute sessions) and dress rehearsals (2 2 hour session) (5 nights total): $105
Permit fee contribution: $10
Fuel and spinout area contribution: $10
Costume materials: $10
Total: $140

Prerequisites

There are three basic parts to the piece with the requirements listed below. GlitterGirl will choose from the students who register for the class who will have the principle parts based on style, control, skill set and past performance experience.

Chorus poi artists should know:

• Overhand weave
• Underhand weave
• Right stall from weave to butterfly
• Left stall from weave to butterfly
• Angel (behind the head butterfly)
• Overhand thread the needle
• Double stalls with both hands
• Counter-clockwise corkscrew

Principle poi artists should know all of the above as well as:

• Overhand thread the needle over the head
• Interior corkscrew
• Buzzsaw with extensions
• Transitions from short poi butterfly to buzsaw (using open spin)
• Underhand split interior corkscrew with transition to over the head thread the needle and back again
• have excellent control and their own style as a freestyle (short) solo section is part of this choreography

Hoop artists should know the following moves:

• Front to back plane reel (half will need it on one direction and the other half in the other direction)
• Behind the back pass (half will need it on one direction and the other half in the other direction)
• Barrel roll
• Front plane hoop isolation and stop
• Waist hooping

This class is full! we are not accepting any more registration at this time.